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Podcast: South Africa – Riots, Anarchy, Causes

On this podcast of The Schilling Show we discuss the current dire situation in South Africa regarding the riots, anarchy, rape culture and femicide and the major causes behind this unrest. From minute 8:30 onwards.

Video of Unrest (3 more at the bottom of the page. Warning: Last video contains Violence).

Topics and points discussed

The riots in and around Johannesburg have been violent and destructive and are ongoing. Highways were blocked off, cars were set alight, tires burned, and shops and buildings were destroyed and looted. Even libraries were not spared and were burned.

The narrative in the media, social media and by government, that this violence is about xenophobia (dislike of foreigners, fear of the other) is only partly correct. It leaves out major causes of this disaster and puts the blame on racism alone.

Xenophobia

We have huge problems with xenophobia. Foreigners have been attacked and killed and many businesses destroyed, it is a tragedy, truly. The reasons for this are:

The incorrect belief that “they come here and take our jobs”

Crime is blamed solely on them, for example the enormous Nigerian drug trade.

Of course, there are many legal immigrants, and illegal immigrants for that matter, who just want a better life and are not criminals. But this is about societal impressions and a place to direct anger. The take-away point is that the police force and the law should be taking care of illegal immigration and rampant crime.

Major Causes of Unrest

Service-delivery

Unemployment – around 30% of the country.

Poverty and desperation,

Education

A misplaced belief in socialist ideals.

Riots and anarchy such as this do not just suddenly happen out of nowhere. It takes a long time to brew. This is a long-term failure of government to deliver and take care of its citizens.

The major concern now, is that fixing the security problems, crime problems, education problems, standards of living, societal attitudes towards foreigners and especially towards women and girls is not an overnight task.

Rape and Femicide

Coupled with these riots, there have been several violent rapes and murders of women making the news over the last month, and sadly August is women’s month.

Sexual violence is not new. Like these riots are not new. It is just all getting louder and more untenable.

Sexual Violence

It is estimated that over 40% of South African women will be raped in their lifetime and that only 1 in 4 rapes are reported. It is also estimated that 14% of perpetrators of rape are convicted in South Africa. We also have an enormous problem with infant rape and corrective rape.

Infant rape – happens because of the belief that sex with a virgin will cure AIDS. Infants are frequently raped.

Corrective Rape – happens because of the belief that raping will cure people of homosexuality. Lesbians are at particular risk for this.

The estimated overall HIV prevalence rate is approximately 13,5% among the South African population. For adults aged 15–49 years, an estimated 19,07% of the population is HIV positive.

EDUCATION and POLICING should be fixing this.

What Now?

We have heard from our president Cyril Ramaphosa unimpressive and weak tweets and promises, in which not many people have much faith. For example, he tweeted:

“Since 2018, gender-based violence and femicide has been placed squarely on the national agenda as the crisis that it is.” He also tweeted that the kidnappings we have been seeing are unacceptable.

This is meaningless, as we have never seen anything improve, in fact we only see it get worse.

There is little societal trust in the police force or the jails.

Of great concern is the following and support that the EFF party and its leader, Julius Malema, has.

With the May 2019 elections, the support for the ANC and the DA dropped. The support for the EFF rose by a relatively significant margin.

After the riots, this is what he has to say:

At a press conference on Thursday 5th September, Mr Malema expressed the view that “white South Africans must take full responsibility for the mess we are faced with” for the recent spate of xenophobic attacks. He said that “The owners of the means of production are white people. It is white people who prefer foreign nationals over South Africans”…. He added “The problem we have is in the private sector and that sector is owned by white minority”

“That’s why when we are killing each other, the rand strengthens because the owners are happy that the animals are at each other. The rand is a strengthened by black on black violence,” he added.

Most people know that this is nonsense. However, this very dangerous rhetoric has a following and it does not take a majority to destroy things, or people.

The white minority, which is officially around 8.5% of the population (although with the current emigration numbers is probably lower than this), has a new risk.

Videos of Unrest:

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Published by Sharon Salomon

I am a South African / Israeli who loves being with animals, traveling to new countries where I cannot understand a word, food and the journey of the spirit.
I believe fully in loving like your heart is expanding and wrapping itself around the earth, and that if we avoid pain we miss out on all the good bits.
I believe in healing and the power of choice and doing something, as remaining silent in the face of evil is not living.
"Yes, I have faith. Faith in God and even in His creation. Without it no action would be possible. And action is the only remedy to indifference: the most insidious danger of all." ~Elie Wiesel
View all posts by Sharon Salomon